To Be Free
by boblikesboba
Summary: "Ne Killua."She said. "Nani?" He replied. "You see those white things up there?" She pointed. "Yeah? So what, they're just birds." He said. "I wanna be like them." She leaned on the railing. "Ha? Why?" He raised his brow. "Cause…I want to be free too." She smiled. KilluaxOC
1. Prologue-The Great Escape

**Hello Minna-san!**

**This is my first time writing a fanfiction. English is not my first language…sooo there will be grammar and spelling mistakes. Please help me improve my writing by commenting about things that I should fix! Thanks! Oh I forgot something. Killua might be a little OOC so..uh…comment…and I'll try to fix his OOC-ness. Yeah. Okay. That's all for now. Enjoy~**

**Killua: The baka author does not own hunterxhunter, and she definitely does not own me.**

**Me: Awwwww. But I do own my OC. She's copyrighted. No stealing. Or I call Illumi to kill you.**

**Killua: Shaddup and write the stupid story, moron! *kicks***

**Me: Okay. Geez. Calm down old man. *runs***

**Killua: -giant tick mark- What did you sayyyy?! *chases***

* * *

Prologue- The Great Escape

Some people might say that a curse can be a blessing. Others say that a curse, well…is just a curse. For me, I'm with the "Others". Ever since I was born, the people in my village hated me, except for my parents. If it weren't for them, I would've killed the villagers already, heh. Thankfully, they loved me and I am able to become the person I am today.

You see, I have two types of personalities. Let's just say the first one is the 'dark' personality and the second is the 'light' personality. My 'dark' personality is the deadly, serious, awfully frightening personality. The 'light' one is the bubbly, childish, fun, innocent personality. I don't whole control of my personality changes so one second I can be laughing my pants off from your joke and the next wanting to kill you. The times that I can control it is when I'm in my childish personality. However, once I am threatened/ scared/ emotional, I change and you're screwed. Heck, sometimes I can't control it even when I'm in my childish state.' It's hard to change back once I'm in my 'dark' personality.

But it's not just the personalities that mark me as cursed. It's actually the appearance I take on during my phases. It all started when I was born…

_-12 years ago-_

"WAHHHHHH-WAHHHHH" the newborn cried. All the villagers gathered around the mother who was panting with exhaustion from labor. She smiled with tears in her eyes at the baby.

"Hey Sora, mommy's right here. Shhhh, don't cry." As if hearing her mother's soothing voice, the pink haired baby stifled and stopped crying. The baby opened her eyes and the villagers gasped.

"A red eyed demon." An elderly woman whispered.

"She's cursed!" A man yelled.

"Get away from her, darling!" A woman screamed at her husband.

"It's a witch! A Shinigami! Let's kill her before she kills us all!" Another one cried.

"No! Leave my wife and baby alone!" A man with blue hair stood in front of the mother and the so-called "demon".

"That's right. If you want to kill my child, you have to go through me." The mother said fiercely. The elderly woman stepped up. "But Manami, it's a demon. It can possess you and slowly kill you!"

"I don't care. I only know that this child is mine. I love her." The woman replied. The man touched her shoulders affectionately, and said, "Our child." He looked up at the villagers.

"Very well. We will not kill this demon. But if anything happens to our village, or the villagers, your child is to blame. Then we will not hesitate to burn her on the stake." The elder told them. "Even if we have to get rid of you two," She added with a glare and left. The villagers followed.

The woman and the man looked at each other and smiled softly. "We'll do anything to keep you safe," they told the little sleeping baby.

_-5 years after-_

"Mommy! I'm home!" a pink haired girl kicked off her shoes and ran into the house. Her mother, Manami, was doing the laundry and looked over at her. "Welcome home, Sora! How was the first day of kindergarten?"

"It's great!" she lied quickly, not wanting to worry her mom. None of the kids played nor talked with her. Not one spared her a glance.

"What did you eat for lunch?" her mother asked.

"We ate rice, and uh…miso soup?" She lied again. No one gave her any food. The kindergarten teachers ignored her when she asked for food. She sat alone in the classroom while the others ate lunch in the cafeteria.

"Huh? That's weird. I thought you guys had fried eggs and sausages today. I have the lunch menu." Her mother scratched her head confused.

"No..uh…the cafeteria lady ran out of eggs." She lied lamely and changed the topic, pointing at the laundry. "Mommy, do you need any help with that?"

_-5 years later-_

"Sora, where did you get those bruises? And why are you coming home so late" Her dad asked worriedly. The sum was already going down. She didn't answer and looked at the ground. Every time she went home, the older kids chased her around cussing at her. When they caught up to her, they push her to the ground and take her things from her bag. One time when she tried to stand up and get her bag from them, one guy punched her in the stomach. Luckily, it was on the stomach and her parents did not see it. She tried to find other ways to go home without them finding her. However, like bloodhounds, they always did.

Today, she walked through the forest to get home and little did she know that they were hiding in the trees. After they had beaten the crap out of her, she trudged home covered in dirt. It took her more than 3 hours to get home. Her mother lifted her head up and smiled, "Sora, you can tell us."

"S-someone…no," She quickly shook her head. She knew she shouldn't make her parents worried. "I fell."

"That doesn't explain why you have bruises all over your body." Her dad furrowed his brow.

"Haru, dearest, I think someone pushed her." Her mother said. Her dad snapped. "I should've known! I'm such a failure as a dad!"

"No! That's not it! Mom and dad are great parents! I fell! It doesn't matter." She said eyes wide.

"Sora…It's okay to tell us the truth. We're your parents after all. We care for you." Her mom said smiling gently. She looked at the ground. Her eyes blurred. Her shoulders shook. Tears dropped on the ground. Suddenly, she felt arms around her, soft, warm, and protective. She never felt so safe in her life.

"Oh Sora." Her parents hugged her.

_-1 ½ years later-_

_"__It's all your fault! You made Manami and Haru die! You demon!" _villagers screamed and cursed at her .

The rain poured down on her head like a waterfall. Her black dress was soaked. She looked at her parent's graves. No one came to visit or mourn for them. No one…except her. She remembers the words they said the night before. _"Sora, we will always watch over you. Continue being who you are. We love you, remember that."_ It's like they knew they would die. She kneeled and laid down the flowers she had on their graves.

"Mom, Dad, I love you. I'll miss you. I'll be a good girl." Her voice cracked as she pleaded. "Please come back. Please. I'm so lonely. Please." She broke down. She can no longer distinguish if the liquid on her face are tears or rain. Their voices ran in her head. "_We love you…we love you…we love you_."

She slowly stood up. "I'm going to be strong," she said. "I won't cry anymore! I will make you proud!"

Her eyes determined and her long pink hair fluttered in the wind.

_-2 months later-_

She was tied on the stake. Her pink hair stuck to her face and neck. Her face was covered with sweat. blood, bruises and cuts. Her clothes were ripped. She looked at the villagers. They glared at her and shook their fists.

"We should've killed her a long time ago!" one said angrily. The villagers nodded and screamed curses at her.

She never felt so scared in her life. _I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to die_. She felt an odd sensation and someone said. "Shut up. You guys are the ones who's gonna die." It was her voice. Yet she had no control over it.

The villagers gasped and pointed at her. "Her hair turned black!"

"She is truly a demon!" others yelled.

She looked at her hair. It was black. She smirked. "Heh, so what?" She looked behind her and smiled sweetly. "You know, these ropes are too loose. I can easily break out of them. Tie them tighter next time, ne?" The man holding her gulped and started sweating. The ropes were tied with a difficult knot. She couldn't get out right? "Hehe. Wrong. Watch this." She said as if reading his mind and snapping the ropes.

The man looked in awe until he felt a presence behind him. A cold metal blade was against his neck. She said to him. "Any last words? No? Okay then." _Slice. _Blood dripped down her cheeks.

The villagers looked in shock and screamed as they all ran away. She walked calmly into the forest and out of sight.

"I'm so bored. Maybe the Hunter's Exam will relieve my boredom." She whispered to herself.

-to be continued-

* * *

**So. How was it? Boring? Stupid? Weird? Please let me know by commenting :D I would really appreciate it.**

**Killua: It was...**

**Me:Yes?**

**Killua: ...nevermind.**

**Me: WHAT IS IT?! TELL ME!**


	2. Chapter 1- On the Ship

**Heyooo!**

**Sorry for not updating for a long time. I was really busy with summer work. Thanks to those who are following and favoriting(? Is that a word? IDK , you guys know what I mean XD). I also want to thank HaruChan for being the first one to review and encouraging me to write the first chapter. Hehe~ This chapter is kinda weird and rushed so please bear with me. Please continue to support me by reviewing! Oh and I tried to make a better summary and my friends all liked the new one so I changed it. Okay. That's all for now. Enjoy~**

**Killua: Who would enjoy your stories anyways?**

**Me: Normal people unlike you.**

**Killua: You're just jealous 'cause people like me better than you. Bleh!**

**Me: Whatever. Hmph.**

**Gon: Author-san does not own HunterxHunter, its plot, nor the characters.**

**Me: I want tooooooooooo –cries-**

**~Edited- Please reread the prologue and this chappie.~**

* * *

Previously on To Be Free…

_But it's not just the personalities that mark me as cursed. It's actually the appearance I take on during my phases. It all started when I was born…_

_The woman and the man looked at each other and smiled softly. "We'll do anything to keep you safe," they told the little sleeping baby…_

_"__Sora…It's okay to tell us the truth. We're your parents after all. We care for you." Her mom said smiling gently. She looked at the ground. Her eyes blurred. Her shoulders shook. Tears dropped on the ground. Suddenly, she felt arms around her, soft, warm, and protective. She never felt so safe in her life…_

_"__It's all your fault! You made Manami and Haru die!" villagers screamed at her…_

_She walked calmly into the forest and out of sight.__"__I'm going to join the Hunter's Exam." She said to herself…_

* * *

Chapter 1- On the Ship

A month after escaping from my horrid village, I walked through many cities, towns, and other places. I bought clothes using the money in the wallet that I had stole from the guy that I killed. Remember? That one who tied the ropes too loose? I didn't feel guilty. Not one bit. After all, he was already dead. He's not gonna need his money. I'm just going to borrow a bit and return his empty wallet when I'm done. But then again, his wallet is made of leather. _Expensive _leather_. _I could pawn it. Heh.

Back to the topic. In the first city, I bought clothes, a black backpack, a phone, earphones, and other useful stuff. Oh, I also bought two shiny silver daggers. I don't know why but I just couldn't tear my eyes away from it. It was slowly drawing me in. They were expensive. I used up more than half of my money buying those. Wait. Let me rephrase that. I used up more than half of _his_ money.

The daggers were worth it though. They were extremely useful. For killing. Hey, I needed to get to the Hunter's exam right? I needed lots on information. The process was simple, and efficient. Ask people. They get on your nerves? They don't give you info? They ignore you? Kill 'em.

I found killing satisfying. It just takes away my frustration and stress. It was really easy too. Just slit their throats and walk away. After going through few places. I had everything that I needed. Clothing? Check. Phone and headphones? Check. Daggers? Check. Information? Check. Now I just need to get on a ship to go to Zaban City.

I sighed. I looked at my reflection in the water before getting on board. My long black hair is still there. My ruby red eyes stared back at me. I touched my pale face that was once full of color. I stuffed my long hair down my black sweater and put my hoodie on. Now I look like a guy. My sneakers were on and the laces were tied. Perfect. The whistle blew so I walked on. I leaned against the rails and pulled out my headphones, and started tapping on my phone for music.

Before I knew it, we stopped again at an island called, Whale Island. A boy got on the ship and started waving good-bye at the crowd. The crowd was shouting encouragements and telling him to "come back soon". Then he yelled back to them, "I'm going to become the best Hunter in the world." I don't think they can hear you anymore. They were so far away.

"Best Hunter in the world?" One of the passengers scoffed.

"Kid doesn't respect us." Another one laughed.

"Every year, there are millions of skilled applicants in the Hunter exam. But only a handful are selected. Don't say stuff you can't back up, boy." A guy that looked like a raisin said. The rest laughed at the boy. "Tch, you won't even survive a millisecond in the exam before I slit your throat._"_ I snickered.

"Whatcha' laughing at, boy?" The raisin scowled at me.

"I'm laughing at you, duh. Why are you so stupid? Ojii-san?" I smirked.

"You stupid kid! I'll kill you!" Mr. Raisin rushed at me with a sword-thingy. Putting on a poker face, I dodged his attack and with my two daggers, knocked his sword out of his hand. Then I quickly went behind him, holding a dagger to his neck. He trembled and pleaded. "Please don't kill me!"

Pathetic.

"Insult me again, and I'll definitely kill you."I looked at the rest of the group. "Anyone else?" I glared. They all shook their head. I released my hold on Mr. Raisin. The boy walked up to me.

"Wow! That was really cool. Thanks for standing up for me! My name is Gon!" He said. He had spikey dark green hair and innocent, warm, brown eyes. He had a green outfit on (Sorry don't know how to describe it)with green boots.

"Sora." I said with an emotionless face. I wasn't standing up for him. Raisin was just annoying. Right?

"Sora, how old are you?" He asked.

"I'm twelve." I replied.

"Yay! Me too!" He laughed. I smiled a little, then corrected myself into a poker face. What? His laugh and smile is contagious.

Suddenly, there is a crash. "What are you doing, Katsuo? At this rate, you'll never make a good sailor." The guy kicked "Katsuo" into the box of Granny Smith apples and laughed. Few apples dropped out. Gon looked at them and walked down the stairs. I just stood there watching him. The captain walked out.

"Hey, don't slack off!" He yelled at them drinking from his canteen then turned to Katsuo who was picking up the remaining apples off the ground. "Hey, didn't you hear me? Move that box!"

"A-aye, C-captain!" He stammered.

"Wait!" Gon smiled and tossed the apple to Katsuo. The guy thanked him and scampered off. I looked at Gon. He's a good guy. Gon looked at the sky where the seagulls are screaming.

"A storm is coming." He said. My eyes widened. How can he tell?

"Eh? How do you know?" The captain asked him.

"That's what the seagulls are saying." He said pointing. "Plus…"He trailed off climbing on top of the ship and sniffed the air. "It's a big one."

After 5 minutes the waves tossed the ship around like a beach ball. Many people were seasick. Cross that out. Almost all were seasick and throwing their lunch up. The odor lingered in the air but I ignored it, sitting on two men who passed out. I took out my headphones again. I put them on and looked around the room. Gon was distributing water and herbs for the sea sick men. A blond boy? Or is it a girl? Fine. Blondie was lying on a hammock reading a book. I looked below him. An old man sat below him spitting out a bit of apple.

"This is one sour apple." No shit Sherlock. It's a Granny Smith apple. What do you expect? I looked at the door. The captain was staring at us and smiled. Definitely a stalker.

"First, tell me your names." The captain said.

"I'm Gon!" Gon yelled raising his hand.

"I'm Kurapika." Blondie said.

"It's Leorio." The old man mumbled with a frown.

I stood silently. They all turned to me. I sighed.

"Sora." I said.

"Why do you want to become a Hunter?" the captain asked again.

"Hey! If you're not an examiner, you can't order us around!" Old man said.

"Just answer the question!" The captain grumbled.

"My dad's a Hunter. I left Whale Island because I wanted to know why my dad desired so much to be a Hunter." Gon grinned. Leorio didn't look too happy.

"Hey kid! You're not supposed to answer his question." He scowled.

"Why can't I tell him why I'm here?" Gon asked.

"Not a team player, huh? I don't want to reveal why I'm here." Leorio poked Gon on the forehead.

"I agree with Leorio." Blondie said. Leorio looked pissed.

"Hey, aren't you younger than me? Show some respect!" He yelled. Blondie ignored him. Go Blondie.

"It's quite simple to avoid the question, by offering a lie." He continued.

Cue the giant tick mark. "Hey! Are you listening to me?!" Leorio looked like a volcano ready to erupt. How childish. Blondie continued to ignore him.

"However it is shameful to rely upon deceit." Blondie looked up. "That said, if I were to tell you the truth I would be unveiling my deepest secrets. That is why I cannot answer your question."

Leorio pointed at the blond, "Hey you…don't ignore me!"

The captain looked at me. I stared at him. He looked away and said, "In other words, you refuse to answer my question." Nobody spoke.

"Hey Katsuo," the captain said "Tell the examiners that we have three more dropouts." Leorio and Blondie looked shocked. Leorio asked quietly, "What do you mean?" Of course. He was a semi-examiner. Should I just kill him? Nah, I still want to see what's gonna happen next.

"You still haven't figured it out yet? The Hunter's exam already started." He grinned. Leorio and Blondie gasped, "What?"

"There are many who want to be a Hunter. The examiners don't have time to see them all. So they hired people like us, to "trim the fat". I already notified the board. Everyone else in the ship had to withdraw. If they can't handle the storm, they stand no chance in the Hunter exam's later stages. In other words, you only can proceed to the main exam if I pass you." The captain took a puff from his smoke pipe. "So think carefully before answering."

Leorio grumbled. "Should have told us earlier," he muttered under his breath. Blondie sighed and opened his mouth to speak.

"I am the last survivor of the Kurta Clan. Four years ago, my clan was annihilated by a band of criminals. I want to become a Hunter and hunt down those criminals, the Phantom Troupe." He said. Oh. So it was the Clan with the scarlet eyes. I looked at Blondie. His/her face looked determined.

"So you want to become a bounty Hunter?" The captain said after a while. "The Phantom Troupe is a Class-A bounty. Even the experienced Hunters can't touch them. You'd be throwing away your life."

"I do not fear death. I only fear my rage will fade over time." His eyes turned scarlet for a moment, and then resumed its original color. I wish my eyes were normal like the others.

"So you want revenge. Does that require you to become a Hunter?" Leorio laughed.

"That may be the most stupid question I've ever heard, Leorio." Blondie shot back.

He was shocked for a moment and then screamed. "That's Leorio-san to you." Blondie cut him off and sighed. "Places accessible only to Hunters…have information that is unobtainable from other places. There are more reasons but your brain probably can't handle." By that time, Leorio already had smoke coming out of his nose and ears. Like a bull. He would have killed our ears if Gon hadn't stopped him.

"Hey, why do you want to be a Hunter?" Gon asked him.

He calmed down and smiled. "Me? I'll make it short. I WANT MONEY! MONEY CAN GET YOU EVERYTHING," He started floating and dancing around. Someone stop his nonsense before I kill him. "A BIG HOUSE! A NICE CAR! GOOD LIQUOR!" He laughed.

"You can't buy a cure for a curse." I said surprising myself. I'm sure my other personality does not have control, yet. They looked at me. I stared back. Gon broke the silence, "What do you mean, Sora-san?"

"It's nothing." I looked away. Gon cocked his head to one side, his eyes worried.

"Tell us." Blondie said.

"It's none of your business. Stop asking." I glared at the blond.

"Fine." Blondie sighed.

"But what is wrong with your eyes? Why is it-..." Blondie covered Leorio's mouth. He probably sensed something was wrong. My eyes were glowing. If he had finished his sentence, I wouldn't have enough self control to not kill him. Right there and then.

"Leorio. Shut up, will you?" Blondie hissed.

Leorio slowly turned back, extremely pissed. "That's three times now. Plus, he was talking to you, not the rest of us. Why can't I ask him? Let's go outside. I'll end the filthy Kurta bloodline, here and now." Oh dear.

"Take that back, Leorio!" Blondie lost his cool. Leorio turned back.

"Take that back," Blondie glared.

"That's Leorio-san to you." Leorio glared back walking out. Blondie followed him.

"Hey boys!" The captain yelled at them. "I'm not finished yet."

"Let them go." Gon said. They stared at him. "Mito-san once told me…'If you want to know someone, you need to make an effort to know why they are angry.' It's important for them to understand why they are mad. So we should let them settle this by themselves." But I wasn't listening to him. Instead I focused on the expression that one of the sailors made. He looked distressed.

"Look C-captain!" He pointed. I followed his index finger to a swirling waterspout. "If we get caught by that waterspout, the ship will sink!" Katsuo said anxiously.

The captain told Katsuo to tell the rest of the sailors to lower the sails. He and Gon rushed out. Well. I don't want to be here with the stalker captain anymore so I walked out. As I reached the door, he called out to me. "Why do you want to be a Hunter, eh?" Tch. I turned back and said, " 'Cause it looks fun."

Without another word, I walked out. By the time I got out, people were pulling the ropes. I just stood there not wanting to get involved although a voice deep inside nagged me. 'You should at least do something. Geez lazy pants.' I heard a scream. I looked up and saw Katsuo flying on a rope. Looks fun. He flew towards the sea. Well, the shark's gonna have a wonderful meal tonight. ' Go help him! Go! Sora!' I ignored the voice but my body, without my approval ran towards his flying body and my hand was trying to hold onto his.

It was too late. His hand slipped through mine. His hand also slipped through both of Leorio's and Blondie's hand. Then I saw a flash of green. Gon. What is he doing? Getting himself killed? Why am I worrying so much? This never happened before. Wait. I know. It's my opposite personality. Damn. I got to get it into control. If I let 'her' take over, we'll both die. Gon caught Katsuo's hand and Blondie and Leorio caught his feet. Then they pulled him and Katsuo up. I rushed towards Gon.

"Are you alright?" I hear myself ask. I face-palmed in my mind. Ugh.

"Yeah. Thanks for worrying, Sora-san," He flashed me a heart-warming smile. Heart-warming?! What am I thinking? Few moments later, I heard Blondie and Leorio scolding Gon. I didn't hear most of it because I was standing away trying hard to convince my other half not to let her guard down. But did she listen? No. I rubbed my temple. I looked over and saw Katsuo thanking Leorio and Blondie. Gon then pointed at me. Katsuo came running over to me.

"Thank you Sora-san!" He bowed.

"Eh?" I stared at him.

"For trying to save me." He smiled.

"Oh. Yeah. You're welcome?" I ended awkwardly. 'See told ya so!' I looked at Gon. He winked and flashed me a thumbs up. I smiled a little…okay…maybe a lot…

Suddenly the captain roared with laughter. "EHAHAHHAHEHEHAHA! I like you guys! Okay! I'll take responsibility for bringing you three to the port closest to the exam site. HA!"

"Really?" Gon asked smiling. "then what about your test?"

The captain turned back, "Like I said…it's my decision to make. And all four of you passed!"

We all smiled and Gon leapt up shouting, "YAY!" Maybe…just maybe…it's okay to let my guard down…just a tiny bit.

* * *

**YAY! That took me a long time. I was watching the first episode to make sure what they say is accurate. What do ya think of Sora? She's warming up to them. Just a little. Hehe~ Tbh. I think the captain is a relative of Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer. **

**Killua: I know who your ancestors are.**

**Me: Pfft. Okay then. Who?**

**Killua: No one! 'Cause there is no one on this world that is ugly and dumb as you.**

**Me: -tick mark and twitching eyes- Aww...Don't talk about yourself like that. Oh and also, you forgot a something. You're annoying. But then again, you're too dumb to notice that. -sticks tongue out-**

**Killua: You're so immature. **


	3. AN- I'll take this down later

Haiiii! Sorry, but this is not the next chapter. I'm still working on it :). I'll probably post it tomorrow or the day after that. I read the reviews and edited the prologue and the first chapter. Please reread it if you read it before I edited it. Thanks to Zinc2100, AnimeLover3232, and Yoshisaki Asuka for reviewing ^^ ! Also, thanks to those who are reading, following, and favorite-ing this fanfiction ^^ !

P.s. I update faster when people review!

- Aoi


	4. Chapter 2 - Quiz?

**Hello! I have finished chapter 2! Phew. That took me a lot of time. Um, because of some family issues, I might not update for a long time. Sorry. But, please continue to review and support me, 'kay? Um this chapter kind of ended lame, but I don't have enough time to fix it. I'll fix it when I come back. Thanks to ****HaruChan**** , ****Fate****, & ****AnimeLover3232**** for reviewing ^^. Have a cookie! Hehe~ Okay enough chit-chat! Enjoy this chapter! **

**Killua: Can I have a cookie?**

**Me: Do the disclaimer and I'll give you one :)**

**Killua: Okay. Aoi does not own HunterxHunter, its plot, nor its characters. Ididthedisclaimer,nowgimmethecookie!**

**Me: I lied. I'm not giving the cookie to you. *runs***

**Killua: …*goes into assassin mode* GIVE IT TO MEEEE!**

* * *

_Previously on To Be Free…_

_I found killing satisfying. It just takes away my frustration and stress. It was really easy too. Just slit their throats and walk away. After going through few places, I had everything that I needed. Clothing? Check. Phone and headphones? Check. Daggers? Check. Information? Check. Now I just need to get on a ship to go to Zaban City._

_"Wow! That was really cool. Thanks for standing up for me! My name is Gon!" He said._

_"There are many who want to be a Hunter. The examiners don't have time to see them all. So they hired people like us, to "trim the fat". I already notified the board. Everyone else in the ship had to withdraw. If they can't handle the storm, they stand no chance in the Hunter exam's later stages. In other words, you only can proceed to the main exam if I pass you." The captain took a puff from his smoke pipe. "So think carefully before answering."_

_"You can't buy a cure for a curse." I said surprising myself. I'm sure my other personality does not have control, yet._

_Suddenly the captain roared with laughter. "EHAHAHHAHEHEHAHA! I like you guys! Okay! I'll take responsibility for bringing you three to the port closest to the exam site. HA!"_

* * *

Chapter 2 – Quiz?!

We stopped at Dolle Harbor. A city filled with people. Children. Women. Men. Elders. I heard that we were supposed to take a bus somewhere to get to the exam site. Yeah right. I'm not falling into that trap. I patted around checking for my belongings before I got off of the ship. I stood by Gon as he shook the captain's hand.

"Thank you captain," Gon smiled, "I had fun!"

The captain laughed, "I had fun, too. Oh Right! As a token of my appreciation, I'll give ya some advice."

"Advice?" Gon asked.

"Look, you see that big cedar tree up there? On the hilltop?" He pointed to the peak of the "hilltop". Captain…I think you need to get your eyes checked…It's not a hilltop. IT'S A FREAKIN' MOUNTAIN! My eyes twitched. They continued.

"Yeah," Gon nodded.

"You should make your way up there first. It's a shortcut to the exam site," the captain continued.

"Shortcut?! Got it! So, I just need to head for that tree! Thanks!" Gon said, rather loudly. I heard a shuffle. My hearing and eyesight had sharpened after many times listening and looking out for the bullies. Someone was hiding behind the barrels and boxes, listening to their conversation. Hmm, seems interesting. So he's going to follow us, huh. I'm not even gonna stop him. It's fine. I could just kill him later.

"Best of luck!" the captain winked. Ew. Gross much?

"Yep, same to you!" Gon jumped. "Sora-san, let's go!" Sighing, I ran after Gon. Hey, this is the first time I'm running after someone, not vice-versa. The thought brought a smile on my face.

Gon looked at me and grinned, "Sora-san, you look nice when you smile."

"Eh? Oh. Uh. T-thank you." I stammered not used to other people complimenting me.

We caught up to Blondie and Leorio. They looked at the map.

"Huh, that's strange," Leorio said. So Gon told them about the shortcut.

"Why?" Gon looked up at Leorio.

"According to the notice I received, the exam is supposedly being held somewhere in Zaban City Right now, we're here," He pointed at a spot on the map then moved it to other spots as he spoke, "The tree's in the opposite direction from Zaban City."

"Maybe you misheard him?" Blondie questioned.

"No, he said to head for that cedar tree on the hilltop," Gon replied, "Sora-san was there, you can ask him." There is something wrong with you two. It's a mountain! Not a hilltop!

"Sora?" Blondie asked cautiously. I nodded. "I see."

"And this notice isn't any help! Where exactly in Zaban City are we supposed to go?" Leorio scratched his head in frustration.

"Our task is to find the exam site using a limited amount of information." Blondie said with closed eyes, "Just another task before we'll be allowed to take the Hunter's exam."

"I-I k-knew th-that! I knew that already!" Leorio exclaimed.

"Then why didn't you say that earlier huh?" I said with a smirk. Oops. Great job, Sora. Now he's gonna start yelling and blowing steam out of his nose and ears.

"I-I…I was testing you guys! That's right!" Leorio yelled. Right. Of course he was. Blondie and Gon giggled in the back. That made Leorio pretty mad, but he didn't say anything. Thank goodness. His face showed it all. It was red, like a ripe, juicy, tomato.

"Anyways, I'll go have a look," Gon said walking away, "The captain must have a reason to have suggested that." I followed him. It's better to listen to Gon than a stupid, red-faced monkey. Cough cough.

"Oi oi. You're serious?" Leorio asked, "The bus to Zaban is about to leave. We should take it. Hey!" Gon just waved.

Leorio started muttering something but we were too far away to hear it. Whatever, it's not like its important anyways, coming from him. While we were walking, Blondie caught up to us. After a while later, Leorio came up, too. He made various excuses to why he was joining us.

"Well I knew you guys would be lonely without me." He yapped. I sighed. Do I really have to listen to his annoying voice? I took out my earphones and blocked the rest of his words with some music. However, I did not fail to notice the guy from the port, stalking us, from the corner of my eye.

We got to an alley with lots of crows and abandoned houses. But there were people there. I'm pretty sure. I took off my earphones. "This is a creepy place. I don't see a single person." Leorio whispered.

"No. There are plenty here." Gon said. I nodded.

"What?" Leorio was kind of shocked. Right after he said that, one of the doors started opening. We froze and got into fighting stances. That surprised me. Hey, don't judge.

A cart rolled out with this old lady and bunch of people with different colored hair. They were all wearing some kind of white long sleeve dresses with masks except for the old lady. Some had instruments. The old lady was sitting in this wooden box with lights.

"What's with this freak show?" Leorio said.

"Doki-doki…" the old woman said. Leorio repeated her words.

"Doki-doki…"the old woman said again. Leorio gulped and repeated her words…again.

She looked up, her eyes and mouth wide and yelled, "Doki-doki two choice quiz!" Then the music started. My eyes twitched and I face-palmed. I looked at the others. They were frozen with similar expressions.

"You guys are headed for that tree, correct?" She asked us. "To reach that tree, you must pass through this town. I shall administer a single-question quiz."

"H-hold on. What's going on here?" Leorio looked around.

"You have five seconds to state your answer. Give the wrong answer, and you're disqualified. You'll have to give up taking this year's exam." She ignored him.

"I see…Then this is part of the Hunter's Exam." Blondie said.

"I see how it is. I happen to be a quiz expert." Leorio said. Tch, like I'm gonna believe that.

Then the words sunk in. "W-wait one question?!" Leorio exclaimed. You see?

"Your answer will be either 1 or 2. Any other answer will be considered incorrect." The old lady continued.

"W-wait. All three of us share one question? So if one of them gets it wrong, I'm disqualified too?" I snorted. You shouldn't be talking.

"As if that would happen!" Blondie countered, "What scares me is the high likelihood of the vice versa happening." You tell him Blondie.

"What was that?!" Leorio went into mad bull mode again.

Gon interrupted him, "But you know. This way is easier, since only one of us needs to know the answer. I'm not good at quizzes." I bet you're better than him. Leorio and Blondie muttered their agreements. Ah, the stalker is making his way here. I can hear his footsteps.

"Hey, there. Move it," He said "Or else I'll answer the question first.

"Who are you?" Leorio questioned.

"He followed us here, all the way from port," Gon said. So Gon noticed it too? Impressive.

"Huh? Seriously?" Leorio asked.

The other guy grinned and said, "Sorry kid, I happened to hear your conversation."

"What will you do?" The old lady asked.

Leorio thought for a bit then answered, "He seems eager to take it. We should let him go first. That way, we'll know what kind of question to expect." The others agreed. I don't really mind either. He's probably gonna answer it wrong anyways. He walked up and stood in front of the box one of the guys with colored hair brought for him.

"Evil monsters have captured your mother and lover. You can only save one. Select 1 for your mother and 2 for your lover. Which will you save?" The old lady presented the question to him. My eyes widened. What? If I stepped into my mother's shoes, would I save my mom (grandmother) or lover (dad)? I don't know. I don't know.

"What how is this even a quiz?" Leorio gasped.

"Heh." The stalker guy pressed the button. Ding-dong. "The answer is 1," he said confidently.

"Oh? Why do you say that?" the old lady asked.

"Because you can't replace your mother, but you can find another lover." He replied grinning. The crow cawed. "You may pass." The old lady pointed.

Leorio yelled, "What?!"

"You just have to say what the old lady wants to hear," Stalker-san walked away, "Adios."

"Hey! That's all bull! How was that the right answer? We're supposed to answer according to what obaa-san wants to hear? And that's considered correct? Hey, say something!" Leorio rambled on. The crow answered Leorio's "Say something!" by cawing.

He continued, "I won't put up with this sham! I'll find a different route!" He turned to leave but the old lady stopped him. "It's too late. Refuse to take the quiz and you'll be disqualified."

Leorio was raging, "Th-that's ridiculous! Different people answer differently. There's no right answer!" Blondie gasped. I wonder why?

"No right answer…" Blondie muttered "I see! Leorio!" Ah! No right answers. That's it. Blondie is pretty smart, eh? The old lady yelled, "Wait! Not another word from you. Say anything but the answer and you're disqualified!" But she didn't say that to me, so…

"Mario! There's n-," I got cut off too. "And that also goes for you, too!" She yelled. Damn it. How dare you cut me off, old lady. I want to take out my dagger and stick it in her head.

"It's Leorio!" He screamed at me. Leorio, Mario. Tomato, Toma(h)to. Same thing.

"Here is the question. Your son and daughter have been kidnapped. You can only rescue one. Select 1 for your daughter, or 2 for your son. Which one will you rescue?" the old lady asked.

She then began counting down, "Five."Leorio grabbed a stick. "Four." He started swinging it around. "Three. Two. One. Bzzzz! Time's up!" Leorio charged at the old lady holding the stick high above his head trying to bash the old lady's head in. Although part of me wanted him to bash it in, the majority part wanted to pass this round. And to pass this round I needed to stop him. I took out my daggers. Aimed at the wood and threw it. Tch. I was too slow. It hit the side of a house. Nah, just kidding. It went through the house.

It surprised Leorio and slowed him down just a little, but just in time for Blondie to stop him with his wooden pole thingy. "Don't stop me, Kurapika! I won't be satisfied until I teach this hag a lesson!" He yelled.

"Calm down, Leorio! You'll waste our correct answer!" Blondie yelled back.

"Eh. Correct answer?" Leorio stopped raging.

"We gave the right answer," Blondie explained, "Silence was the correct answer."

"Silence? What do you mean?" Leorio asked. Blondie looked at him and said, "You hit the nail on the head. 'There's no correct answer!' Yes. This quiz had no correct answer. However we can only state 1 or 2 as the answer. In other words, we weren't meant to respond at all. Silence was the only response."

"But what about the other guy?" Leorio asked.

"She never said he gave the right answer. She only said, 'You may pass'. In other words, that path he took was the wrong one. Am I right?" Blondie looked at the old lady.

She smiled, "Precisely. The correct path is over here." She opened a door. Woah, that's pretty cool. "Walk two hours and you'll reach the top."

"Oh, so that's what this was about…" Leorio muttered.

"A couple lives in the cabin beneath that tree. They serve as Navigators. If you reach their standards, I believe that they will guide you to the exam site." She continued.

Leorio dropped his stick. "Gran, I'm sorry for my rudeness."

"Don't be. I don't mind. I do this job because I enjoy meeting people like you." She brushed it off.

"Eh?" Leorio was surprised. I was too. I thought she was going to slap him or punch him. That would be fun to watch. Hehe.

"Do your best to become a good Hunter." She smiled at him. Leorio smiled back.

"Ahhh." I looked at Gon. He was sitting on the floor. "It's no use, I can't think of an answer." What. He was still thinking? But the quiz already ended.

"You were still trying to find an answer? You can stop." Leorio laughed.

"Huh? Why?" Gon asked.

"The quiz is over." Blondie replied.

"I know. But you know…What if I ran into a situation like that?" He looked at us.

"Well you still have more than 6 years to think about that. Let's focus on going to the tree for now, Gon." I said.

He smiled at me, "I guess you're right, Sora-san." We left through the door they had opened for us. I looked ahead towards the ray of light.

* * *

**Okay sooo...Yeah...it was lame right? Thx for reading. See ya guys next time. ^^ Please continue to review! **


	5. AN 2

Heyyyyy :)

SO...I'm back and alive. Weeeeee! Sorry for the wait. A shout out to **AnimeLover3232** and **Indysicive** for reviewing and supporting me. And thanks to those who are following and favorite-ing. Yes, my family problems are all good. I will be updating very soon, so please...uh...read it? IDK. But, continue to review and stuff because they make me very happy and make me update sooner..yes..review..I command you to...So that's pretty much all for now. Ja ne XD

p.s. to** Indysicive**: Thanks for ur advice. I'll make sure that I don't do that (I wasn't really planning to..but your review made me more cautious). And, your review did give me LOTS of ideas for this fanfic. YAY! :D so, thanks again.


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